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A review by alecashlark
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Final rating: 3.8 stars | Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Charaters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Plot: ⭐⭐⭐ | Theme: ⭐⭐⭐
Carry On, at the beginning, is such a cozy read it's like curling against a heated bed during a cold, stormy night. But what is at first a tight and solid story eventually becomes loose and shaky, more so in some parts than others.
The writing style has the perfect amount of voiciness, the characters are all lovely except for one annoying dispensable, the enemies-to-lovers romance is short and simple but heartwarming nonetheless, the plot is begging for so much more strength, and the theme, what little there is, is poorly executed.
Writing
The writing style has a clear voice, but it's not as volumed as those in Boyfriend Material and Tell Me It's Real, so I thought the author is holding back in fear of the voice becoming too loud. But then I get to know the characters better and realize that their individual voices are perfect for their personality.
Characters
I love Baz the most because he feels the most genuine, and then Penny, because who doesn't love another version of Hermione, one that's of Asian heritage? I don't dislike Simon, but I really can do without his episodes of immaturity. And there's Agatha. She makes me feel so off-kilter because not only is the circumstance that surrounds her character quite awkward, her very involvement in the story is so forced I can only cringe.
Romance
In every enemies-to-lovers romance, I'm all after how the characters will catch feelings and then transition from being enemies to being lovers. The transition is oftentimes gradual, sometimes even drawn out, but in Carry On it's abrupt. It disarms me, strips my defenses, and leaves my heart bare to receive the full impact. It's breathtaking, and I really, really love it.
Plot
The plot is entertaining enough, but it's just so, so weak that I want to do a dramatic walling. The antagonist is lame and has no right to be an antagonist. The stakes are never raised which, as a result, makes the already underwhelming ultimate battle even more underwhelming.
I know every mystery in this book, all except a minor one, long before they are revealed. The author hints at those mysteries so obviously that in the end the information is not even a hint anymore. Then there are these chapters that talk about those mysteries in a supposedly subtle manner, but since I already know about them I'm forced to pretend that I don't so I can at least enjoy reading those chapters. It's all so depressing it can't even be funny.
Theme
The theme is the soul of a story, and a good theme sets a book apart from the mediocre general population. It's inherent and must be apparent, but I have to look up what Carry On's theme is, because I have no clue. That alone is a testament as to how poor the execution of the theme is. BookRags says it's "People have too much in common to let their differences tear them apart." But this has no concrete manifestation in the story; it's pretty much invisible.
I'm so disappointed that I initially can't find the energy to write a comprehensive review. But I notice that a lot of people love this book and realize that it might not be fair to rate it as I have without proper justification. I recommend this book solely for Baz and the enemies-to-lovers romance.
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Carry On, at the beginning, is such a cozy read it's like curling against a heated bed during a cold, stormy night. But what is at first a tight and solid story eventually becomes loose and shaky, more so in some parts than others.
The writing style has the perfect amount of voiciness, the characters are all lovely except for one annoying dispensable, the enemies-to-lovers romance is short and simple but heartwarming nonetheless, the plot is begging for so much more strength, and the theme, what little there is, is poorly executed.
Writing
The writing style has a clear voice, but it's not as volumed as those in Boyfriend Material and Tell Me It's Real, so I thought the author is holding back in fear of the voice becoming too loud. But then I get to know the characters better and realize that their individual voices are perfect for their personality.
Characters
I love Baz the most because he feels the most genuine, and then Penny, because who doesn't love another version of Hermione, one that's of Asian heritage? I don't dislike Simon, but I really can do without his episodes of immaturity. And there's Agatha. She makes me feel so off-kilter because not only is the circumstance that surrounds her character quite awkward, her very involvement in the story is so forced I can only cringe.
Romance
In every enemies-to-lovers romance, I'm all after how the characters will catch feelings and then transition from being enemies to being lovers. The transition is oftentimes gradual, sometimes even drawn out, but in Carry On it's abrupt. It disarms me, strips my defenses, and leaves my heart bare to receive the full impact. It's breathtaking, and I really, really love it.
Plot
The plot is entertaining enough, but it's just so, so weak that I want to do a dramatic walling. The antagonist is lame and has no right to be an antagonist. The stakes are never raised which, as a result, makes the already underwhelming ultimate battle even more underwhelming.
I know every mystery in this book, all except a minor one, long before they are revealed. The author hints at those mysteries so obviously that in the end the information is not even a hint anymore. Then there are these chapters that talk about those mysteries in a supposedly subtle manner, but since I already know about them I'm forced to pretend that I don't so I can at least enjoy reading those chapters. It's all so depressing it can't even be funny.
Theme
The theme is the soul of a story, and a good theme sets a book apart from the mediocre general population. It's inherent and must be apparent, but I have to look up what Carry On's theme is, because I have no clue. That alone is a testament as to how poor the execution of the theme is. BookRags says it's "People have too much in common to let their differences tear them apart." But this has no concrete manifestation in the story; it's pretty much invisible.
I'm so disappointed that I initially can't find the energy to write a comprehensive review. But I notice that a lot of people love this book and realize that it might not be fair to rate it as I have without proper justification. I recommend this book solely for Baz and the enemies-to-lovers romance.
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